Early Brief

Contributor

About

This article is provided courtesy of Stars and Stripes, which got its start as a newspaper for Union troops during the Civil War, and has been published continuously since 1942 in Europe and 1945 in the Pacific. Stripes reporters have been in the field with American soldiers, sailors and airmen in World War II, Korea, the Cold War, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Bosnia and Kosovo, and are now on assignment in the Middle East.

Stars and Stripes has one of the widest distribution ranges of any newspaper in the world. Between the Pacific and European editions, Stars and Stripes services over 50 countries where there are bases, posts, service members, ships, or embassies.

Men Alleged Victims of Sex Crimes by AF Trainers

WASHINGTON -- For the first time, men are included on the list of alleged victims in a sexual abuse and misconduct scandal involving Air Force trainees at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.

A male drill instructor stands accused of sexual misconduct with two male recruits attending basic military training, while a female instructor is accused of having a sexual relationship with a man attending technical training, officials at Air Education and Training Command said.

The newly announced cases bring the total number of victims to 59, and the number of instructors investigated to 32. The names of the three trainers who are newly under investigation haven't been released.

Charges filed in the cases have ranged from rape to improper relationships, and six instructors have been convicted. The first instructor to be charged, former Staff Sgt. Luis Walker, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for rape and other crimes.

The scandal has helped ignite a broader discussion about sexual assault in the military, with House Armed Services Committee scheduled to hold a hearing on the matter next week in Washington.